Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a diet is any good?

Maintaining a healthy weight requires a life-long commitment to a healthy lifestyle, which focuses on eating a wide range of healthy foods and keeping physically active in a way that is both sustainable and enjoyable.

A healthy diet is based on a variety of foods including plenty of breads, cereals, fruit and vegetables; moderate amounts of low fat dairy foods and lean meats or alternatives; and small amounts of added fats and oils.

Diets that claim dramatic weight loss and require the elimination of whole food groups/individual foods or that promote skipping meals or irregular eating patterns or the purchase of a special supplement are unsustainable and often result in additional weight gain once the diet has ceased. When trying to lose weight the best way to think of it is as a healthy lifestyle change not a temporary diet.

How do I get my child to eat fruit and vegetables?

Early Exposure - decreases the chances that your child will develop fear of new foods (neophobia). Kids will try most things up until the age of two. It's important during this time to introduce them to as many new foods as possible. Even if your child does turn up his/her nose at various foods later on, early exposure will increase the number of foods he or she thinks of as 'familiar' and thereby expand meal options.
Repeated exposure - Toddlers go through stages of food refusal. It can take up to 10
exposures to a food before it is accepted. So if they don’t like it, just try offering the food again another day in another way.
Present new foods in combination with familiar foods or in an interesting way - Try introducing a new food such as carrot or celery sticks served with a familiar dip. Make a face out of a salad or fruit salad – or better still, ask you child to do it.
Be a good role model - Children tend to watch and imitate others. If you set a good example when you eat, they are likely to follow. If you pull a face and show a dislike to certain foods, they are more likely to copy that reaction.

Remember
Relax, fussy eating and neophobia is a common behaviour. Three points to
Reassure yourself at tough times are:

Healthy children eat when they are hungry, and not usually before.
A child who refuses to eat is not hungry and therefore doesn't need food.
No healthy child has ever starved to death from stubbornly refusing food.

What is the best exercise for someone who is overweight?

Any physical activity is beneficial for weight loss. To lose weight you need to expend more energy than you consume. National Physical Activity Guidelines for adults recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most or preferably all days of the week.

Moderate-intensity activity causes a slight but noticeable increase in your breathing and heart rate. Examples include: walking at a brisk pace, mowing the lawn (with a push mower), medium-paced swimming or cycling, or doubles tennis.

Vigorous activity makes you huff and puff, so talking in full sentences between breaths is difficult. Examples of vigorous activities include: jogging, aerobics, fast cycling or team sports (e.g. Football, netball, soccer) or individual sports (singles tennis, squash).

At first it may be difficult to undertake 30 minutes of activity but remember that you can do smaller 10 or 15 minute intervals. Also take every opportunity to move or undertake incidental activity. For instance take the stairs, park further away, hang washing on the line rather than using a dryer, walk to your colleague’s desk to pass on a message rather than sending an email. These are just some ideas to becoming more active.

Note: Please check with your doctor before following these physical activity guidelines especially if you have been inactive for awhile, have a heart condition or family history of heart conditions, other major health problems or are pregnant.

My child is overweight – what should I do?

Involve the whole family in some changes for good health. Look at ways of incorporating physical activity into your day. Can you walk your child to school? Can you play active games after school with your child? Can you have fun outings on the weekends that involve physical activity? Provide lots of active choices so it is easy to limit small screen activity to no more than 2 hour a day.

Look at what the family eats and see if you can make some small but significant changes for the long term. Remember, fad diets and strict diets don’t work in the medium to long term and can affect healthy growth and development and can also have long term effects on how children view their bodies and their self-esteem.

Some ideas for the whole family to consider are:

Eating meals together without the TV on.
Cutting out juice, soft drinks, cordials and sports drinks and using tap water to quench thirst.
Limiting sweet and high fat snacks. Don't view them as treats, just as sometimes foods.
Eating breakfast every day.
Limiting unhealthy fast food meals or making healthier choices.

Ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian if you are unable to make these changes.
Consult the Service Directory under 'nutrition and dietetics' to locate the service nearest to you.